NXT Champion Sami Zayn vs. Kevin Owens

NXT Champion Sami Zayn is irate, and his rage will not be quelled until he gets his hands on Kevin Owens at NXT TakeOver, live on WWE Network Feb. 11.

Watch NXT TakeOver live on WWE Network | Relive NXT TakeOver: R Evolution

Though it will not be contested for Zayn’s NXT Championship — General Manager William Regal ruled that Owens has not yet earned such a golden opportunity less than two months into his remarkable NXT career, nor does Regal want to reward bad behavior — the match remains one of the most anticipated encounters in NXT history. Former friends, Zayn’s and Owens’ careers have been intertwined from almost the very start, and with Owens’ much-ballyhooed arrival to NXT in December came big expectations that the two warriors would end up in the same ring eventually, either as partners or opponents.

What nobody could have expected, however, was the vicious and unforgiving manner in which Owens betrayed his longtime ally, stealing Zayn’s spotlight at NXT TakeOver: R Evolution. Mere moments after congratulating Zayn on his successful quest to become NXT Champion, Owens did an about-face, decimating the popular Superstar with a powerbomb onto the ring apron — a scary attack that sidelined the newly crowned NXT Champion for weeks. When Zayn finally did return to turn back the challenge of former champion Adrian Neville, it was not long before the burly and dangerous Owens greeted him with a pop-up powerbomb.

Renee Young sits down with Kevin Owens | Owens and other debuts we'll never forget

This all set the stage for Zayn’s plea to Regal on the Jan. 21 edition of NXT, when he all but demanded a match against Owens, even going so far as to refuse to wrestle again unless it be against the grizzled newcomer.

At NXT TakeOver, Zayn gets his wish, and with the usually affable champion now seething and seeking payback, there is no telling what’s in store. Will the NXT Universe see a new and even more intense side of their champion? Or will Owens solidify his place atop the NXT mountain, tearing down his onetime friend in the process? Watch the deeply personal rivalry play out live when NXT TakeOver airs Wednesday, Feb. 11, on WWE Network.